


'Date with a Bulldog' Auction

by noorakardemmomesaetre



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Charity Auctions, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Friendship, Romantic Tension, Southside Serpent Jughead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-20 15:35:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12435897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noorakardemmomesaetre/pseuds/noorakardemmomesaetre
Summary: In an effort to pay off Fred Andrews’ hospital bills from the recent traumatic shooting in Pop’s Diner, Archie Andrews decides to host the first ever Date with a Bulldog Auction at Riverdale High.Betty Cooper promises to bid on her “best friend” Jughead Jones, but her newfound feelings for her best friend are not the only surprise of the night.AU: Everything is the same, except Betty and Jughead have only been 'best friends' this entire time.





	'Date with a Bulldog' Auction

“$400 for our very own Jughead Jones! Can I get $425, ladies?”   

Betty is sitting a few rows back from the front of the stage, gripping the edge of her seat, her mouth hung open, eyes wide as she takes in the scene rapidly unfolding in front of her.

Jughead smiles sheepishly, running his fingers through his hair before shoving his hand in his pocket as the chorus to Kings of Leon’s “Sex on Fire” blares through the auditorium. His eyes travel to where Betty is sitting, biting his bottom lip playfully before glancing back to the girls at the foot of the stage.

She knows he’s waiting to see if she’ll bid on him, but as Cheryl raises her paddle to bring the total up to $425, Betty knows she’s been  _beyond_  outbid.

_Fuck._

* * *

 

_3 hours before the auction…_

“$200.” Betty sighs as she stares at the small stacks of $5 and $10 bills she had pulled from the lockbox that held her babysitting savings. She had no problem spending this kind of money for a good cause, especially when that cause was to help the Andrews pay for Fred’s hospital bills after the recent shooting. 

Archie had decided to host a fundraiser in an effort to raise the money once the Andrews had received the medical bills. The fundraiser, quickly dubbed the Date with a Bulldog Auction, was an auction for dates with any of the participating Riverdale High School males. Any Riverdale High student could bid and the person with the highest bid would win a date with whichever male candidate the student had bid on.

So, she was 100% using this money to help Fred Andrews.

It had absolutely  _nothing_  to do with Jughead Jones walking up to her in the hallway at school two weeks ago, his hand brushing against her lower back as he had murmured against her ear, “Promise me, Betty Cooper, that you’ll bid on me when no one else does.”   

She obviously wouldn’t be planning to bid on him if he hadn’t made her promise.

He was her best friend; he always had been.

However, in the month since Fred Andrews had been traumatically wounded in the middle of Pop’s diner, Jughead had become the Southside Serpents’ newest initiate. With his new responsibilities, he had been coming to school less often and Betty had hardly seen him at all. 

But his name casually thrown in conversation had begun to stir a reaction in Betty Cooper that differed from the usual feelings of warm familiarity. Lately, her heart had begun to pound at the sound, her cheeks flushing, her hands wringing together.

She had written it off as a possible illness, a cold or something, but as she sat there, biting her lip and hoping that $200 would be enough to afford a date with the boy she’d known since they were little, she began to realize she wasn’t the same Betty Cooper from before the attempted murder of Fred Andrews.

And neither was her “best friend” Jughead Jones.

* * *

 

_15 minutes before the auction…_

Betty tugged on her short pink pastel skirt, cursing herself for allowing Veronica to push her into something so provocative. Well, provocative in comparison to her normal wear.

“Will you stop?” Veronica snapped, brushing Betty’s hand away, “you look amazing!”

“You really do,” Kevin confirmed, popping a handful of popcorn in his mouth. 

The Riverdale Rec Hall was buzzing with excitement as Riverdale High students flooded in and grabbed their seats for the auction, chatting about how much money they had brought and who they would be bidding on. The Rec Hall was decorated with blue and gold streamers and giant “Date with a Bulldog Auction!” posters. There was a makeshift stage at the front and a little DJ station set up where Archie was currently hooking up the stereo system.

“Wow, you really spared no expense, V,” Betty admired her best friend, taking in how beautiful the Rec Hall looked. Veronica flashed her an appreciative smile, before catching Archie’s eye and blowing him a kiss. 

“I think I’m going to go grab some popcorn too,” Betty says suddenly, standing as she felt the nerves start to hit her.  _Was she seriously going to bid on him? She hadn’t even seen him in the last week, he was probably joking about the promise._  

Veronica nodded as Kevin leaned in past Betty to gossip to Veronica about Moose’s planned performance tonight. Betty managed to squeeze around them, tugging her skirt down as she passed by several seats, headed towards the concession stand that was being manned by Fred Andrews and a few of his construction guys.

That was when she saw him.

He had just walked in, adjusting his crown beanie as he looked around the Rec Hall, a grimace flashing across his face when he noted the large crowd.

His eyes landed on her and the look of relief that crossed his face made Betty smile immediately. She quickly ran her fingers through her soft waves, wondering if she should have just stuck with her standard ponytail, she didn’t want to seem like she was trying too hard.

 _Trying too hard? He was her best friend for God’s sake, why was she acting like this._  

“Hey Betty,” he smiled at her once he had made his way through the crowd, but his eyes only lingered on hers for a second before they traveled down the length of her body, an eyebrow raising at her short skirt. 

“Hi Jughead,” she laughs nervously, quickly noting where his eyes had lingered, “Veronica made me wear it.” 

“You look good, Betts,” he says, nodding appreciatively before sighing, “besides, just wait until you see what Archie is making me wear.”

She giggles, “is it going to be totally worth the $5.00 I brought to bid on you?”

He groans, his head tilting back, laughing lightly, before he looks at her and whispers darkly, “fuck, I miss you.”

Her cheeks burn and she looks away, knowing he means that he misses their friendship, but not being able to help the way she hopes he misses more. 

“Jones, come on man,” Reggie says, tugging Jughead by the strap on his duffel bag as the lights dim. Jughead shoots her a teasing “fuck my life” scowl as he heads towards backstage with Reggie. 

“Welcome, everyone, to Riverdale’s first ever Date with a Bulldog Auction!” Mary Andrews calls into the microphone at the front of the stage, the lights dimming as the spotlight illuminates where she stands, quickly receiving loud cheers and whistles from the students at Riverdale High.

“So we all know the rules of the game, but I am going to go over them one more time just so we’re clear!” 

Betty hustles back to her seat as the crowd playfully groans in response.

“Each participating male is going to come out on stage one at a time to a song chosen by my son, Archie Andrews, and the bidding will commence! Any student can bid, just raise your paddle, and once the highest bid has been made, that student will get to go on a date with their chosen Bulldog  _tonight!_ ”

The crowd cheers and a few of the football players who aren’t participating whistle from the back of the Rec Hall.

“The Andrews family thanks you all so much for participating and donating, we cannot say it enough, especially to all of you who have worked so hard to put this event together,” Mary says, motioning to Fred who is standing off to the side of the stage, waving nervously.

“Let’s get this party started!”

The crowd explodes into cheers and Betty, Veronica, and Kevin stand to clap and show their support for the Andrews. As they sit back down, the spotlight fades, and blue and gold swirling lights replace it, lighting up the stage as The Weeknd’s “Starboy” pours into the Rec Hall.

Chuck Clayton steps onto the stage, immediately greeted by the screams and cheers of half the girls in the audience. He grins smugly, walking down the stage, winking and waving to girls as the bidding commences.

Halfway through, he peels his shirt off and the bidding jumps from $125 to $250.

“For Chuck? Really?” Veronica shakes her head in disgust and Betty nods in agreement. But inside, Betty is beginning to panic. She had only brought $200 and it was becoming clear to her that the girls of Riverdale High hadn’t come to play tonight. They meant business.

The highest bid for Chuck Clayton goes to one of the Riverdale Vixens at $300 and the auction has truly begun.

A couple more footballs players cross the stage, each pulling in a respectable $150.

Veronica shifts in her seat excitedly as Teammate’s “What You Got” fills the Rec Hall, signaling to Betty that Archie was next. Mary Andrews introduces her son, smiling proudly as he steps on the stage. 

Veronica’s paddle flies in the air immediately, starting the bid off at $100.

Archie smiles in her direction, walking the stage and nodding at his teammates’ section in the back of the Rec Hall. A couple of other Vixens join in the bidding, casting small bids. Even Ethel throws her paddle up to bring the bidding to $300.

She smiles playfully at Veronica who shakes her head and laughs at their friend. Everyone knows Veronica will outbid all of them for her boyfriend, but it was fun to tease her regardless.

“Are you bidding?” Kevin leans in and whispers to Betty as Archie raises his shirt up playfully, before taking it off in an attempt at seduction.

Veronica squeals next to them, waving her paddle, the total brought to $400. 

“I don’t know,” Betty whispers back, laughing as Archie turns around, shaking his butt at the crowd, “are you?”

“Uh, no,” Kevin laughs before shrugging, “what about Jughead?”

“What about  _Jughead_?” Betty snaps too quickly, realizing she had overreacted when Kevin raises an eyebrow at her. 

“I was just assuming, you know, because he’s your best friend,” he says before smirking, “unless he’s something more now?”

Betty doesn’t say anything, using the dimming lights signaling the end of Archie’s performance as an excuse to turn to Veronica. 

“Damn those bitches,” Veronica says, shaking her head as she tucks her paddle back into her purse, “they just cost daddy $450!” 

Betty laughs as Veronica flashes a grin at her, knowing that she’s actually not at all bothered about having to bid that much on a date with her boyfriend. But a wave of panic has settled into Betty’s stomach. 

_$450?!_

“And now we have Riverdale High’s Jughead Jones!”

Betty’s head snaps to the stage as the opening guitar riffs to Kings of Leon’s “Sex on Fire” begin playing, but no one comes out. The makeshift curtains remain closed and the crowd breaks into a bustling chatter, obviously not interested in this portion of the auction.

_Lay where you’re laying_

_Don’t make a sound_

_I know they’re watching_

_Watching_

The curtain peels back slightly as a tentative Jughead Jones steps on the stage.

_All the commotion_

_The kiddie like play_

_Has people talking_

_They’re talking_

Betty’s mouth drops as she takes in the sight of a beanie-less Jughead Jones, his dark hair a mess of curls falling into his striking blue eyes. Silence falls across the Rec Hall as the lights hit him and all eyes turn to where he’s walking casually to the front of the stage.

Standard black jeans, not so standard Southside Serpents leather jacket, hanging open, revealing his toned taut stomach.  _No shirt_. 

As the chorus rings out, the paddles begin to fly up. 

Ethel immediately bids $100 and the positive reaction from the crowd boosts Jughead’s confidence. He smirks at the girls shooting their paddles in the air, the bid for him increasing steadily as he heads to other side of the stage.

“Betty!” Kevin is looking at her in a state of panic, “how much money did you bring?! You have to bid on him!”

“Betty wants to bid on Jughead?” Veronica asks, tearing her eyes away from their friend’s open leather to look at her best friend, but Betty’s eyes are fixated on Jughead. When his eyes meet hers briefly, his head tilted back slightly, she knows that he knows she’s  _shook._  

“Betty!” Veronica says, as Kevin stares at her, both of them trying to figure out when exactly she’s planning to bid, if at all, as the bid increases to $275. 

“I can’t bid on him!” Betty says finally, still not tearing her eyes away as he watches her from the stage, raising his hand to rub the back of his neck coyly, effectively revealing more skin under that jacket and driving Betty crazy.

“Why in the hell not?!” Kevin asks, grabbing her paddle in an attempt to bid for her. 

“You  _want_ to go on a date with Jughead?!” Veronica attempts to shout over the rambunctious crowd, clearly still confused. 

“Yes!” Betty admits, realizing there’s no time to sort out her feelings. She knows she has to listen to her heart on this one as she anxiously takes in all of the girls thirsting after who used to be her best friend. 

Veronica watches her carefully and Kevin shoots her a  _hurry the hell up V!_ look before she grabs the paddle and raises it.

“$450?! Wow, fantastic! Can I get $475 for this guy ladies?!” Mary Andrews is beyond impressed, but Jughead has stopped walking, staring in Betty’s direction.

“Ohmygod no V,” Betty says, yanking the paddle from her hand, “I can’t afford this! I only have $200!”

“Daddy’s paying for it,” Veronica snaps, grabbing the paddle back and shoving it in the air.

“No! I don’t want your  _daddy_ paying for this!” Betty’s anxiety is causing her fists to clench, her nails begging to rip through the surface of her palms.

“Wow, sold for $475!” Mary Andrews giggles as the song comes to an end, “can we have the girl who just placed the highest bid of the night please rise? We need a round of applause!”

Kevin pushes Betty who’s shaking her head, refusing to stand, until her eyes meet Jughead’s.

He’s smiling the smallest  _realest_ smile she’s ever seen adorn his face, evidently surprised when she slowly stands, tugging her skirt self-consciously. 

“Ah, Betty Cooper! What a lucky guy you are, Jughead,” Mary smiles approvingly into the microphone and Jughead bites his lip, never taking his eyes off Betty. 

The lights come back on as the show ends and the participating Bulldogs come out to find their dates for the evening. Kevin gives Veronica and Betty a quick hug as he heads over to tell Moose how much he  _appreciated_  his performance.

“V,” Betty says, turning to a beaming Veronica, “I can’t let you pay for this. I am going to pay you back.”

“B,” Veronica says in the same tone, shaking her head, “I was going to pay Fred’s hospital bill off in its entirety originally, please don’t even think about paying this back.”

Betty eyes her best friend warily before Veronica adds, smiling mischievously, “although, $475 is a pretty pricey way to find out your best friend is in love with Jughead Jones.”

“I am not in love with him,” Betty says quickly, her cheeks burning as her best friend gives her a quick hug, whispering in Betty’s ear, “have fun tonight.” 

She skips off to where Archie is cleaning up the DJ station, planting a soft kiss against his cheek.   

“I never thought I would say this,” Jughead says behind Betty causing her to whip around, thankful to see he’s back in his crown beanie and flannel so she can actually look him in the eye, “but damn, I am an  _expensive_ date.”

She covers her face with her hands out of embarrassment, shaking her head, “Veronica is the one who raised the paddle, I-“

“Oh, was it Veronica?” Jughead laughs, looking over her head, “I guess I’ll just take her out tonight then.” 

“No, no,” Betty says quickly, rolling her eyes when she sees he’s only teasing, before his smile falters, his face growing more serious. 

“Betts,” he says softly as the Rec Hall begins to empty, the clean-up crew rolling in, “I should’ve told you. I shouldn’t have let this get to this point.”

Betty furrows her eyebrows, confused, “what do you-“

But then his lips press against hers, cutting her off, as his hands gently cup her face. She sighs into the kiss, surprised at the butterflies taking off in her stomach as her hand runs through his hair, knocking his beanie to one side.

“Gross, get a room!” Veronica calls out teasingly, causing them to jump apart, laughing nervously. 

Betty Cooper had successfully bid on a date (assisted tremendously by Veronica Lodge) with the only Bulldog she had ever wanted and she couldn’t have been happier.  

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hi babes! I hope you enjoy this one shot, I love date auction story lines and I thought it would be fun to have one in the Riverdale world. Let me know your thoughts xx hopefully this is enjoyable!


End file.
